HISD To Announce It's Done Better Than Ever In State Rankings

HISD has broken its record for schools ranked as "exemplary" or "recognized," spokesman Norm Uhl says.

Last year 57 percent of its 296 schools achieved that ranking; this year 70 percent of its schools have.

"This is one for the HISD history books and a highlight for me as I end my career at HISD," outgoing superintendent Abe Saavedra said in a release. "Once again there has been tremendous academic growth across the district, but the story of Sam Houston really puts a face on the story. Sam Houston High School was rated unacceptable for six years. We made major changes before the beginning of the last school year, dividing Sam Houston into two separate schools. Both schools are now off the unacceptable list and one of the schools moved all the way up to recognized."

The details -- like how many of the schools are "recognized" as opposed to "exemplary" -- will be announced at a news conference tomorrow. HISD officials promise some "interesting success stories."

The other 30 percent of HISD schools might get mentioned, too, but probably not at length.